princeton123211

Totally get it, and that was the original post's subject matter, but it devolved and I'd really feel bad if someone calling on the opposite port used the wrong info-- would potentially ruin their entire day as there wouldn't be much of a chance to recover the morning of.

There is a Residence Inn by Marriott thats just on the other side of the Queens Way from the Hotel Maya. Again, can't speak to the hotel specifically as I haven't stayed there but its still close to the cruise terminal. Here you would be 20 min+ walking so barring a shuttle it wouldn't be that much fun. Outside of those three you are going to be taking an Uber/Lyft or taxi to the pier anyway so it really wouldn't matter if you stayed at the airport if there was a decent deal. Historically the Hotel Queen Mary has not been outrageously expensive-- there are more budget friendly accommodation that is priced accordingly if you don't spring for the wood paneled lined former First Class cabins and suites. These are called "Standard Staterooms" and could be had for very similar rates to the Maya, and sometimes for less. Who knows what the prices will be when they reopen but if you can get a decent deal you really cant beat the proximity to the cruise terminal as well as the spectacular history of the ship itself.

Again, we have to be really careful on this thread of using generalizations like "everyone". We're essentially having two conversations about rental cars and parking-- those that are docking in Kahului Harbor (mainly NCL) and those that are anchoring and tendering into Lahaina on the other side of the island.

The hotel thats truly within walking distance is The Queen Mary which is adjacent to the cruise terminal. Unfortunately not open right now but there are rumblings that it will be reopening in the Fall. Hotel Maya which is a Doubletree is technically walkable but it's about 15-18 minutes dragging luggage. Totally doable if you don't have any mobility issues but along a small sidewalk through a park along the waterfront-- can be hot and you are a bit exposed in the (rare) event of bad weather. I haven't stayed at Hotel Maya-- only a couple times precruise at the QM-- so someone else might know if they run a shuttle on a cruise departure day. It would make sense if they did.

$40 a night in midtown Manhattan is extremely competitive from a price standpoint, especially when you consider there is no upcharge for SUVs at the MCT that you will run into at virtually any other parking garage in Manhattan (which can be $15-20 per day extra). The other thing to consider is that you park your car at MCT and it sits where you leave it-- at a nearby valet garage your car could potentially be moved around several times per day increasing the chance of a bump or scratch. Theres no getting around the fact that parking in Manhattan is incredibly expensive. When we cruise from Manhattan we take a train into the city and avoid bringing a car in at all.

You are limited as to how early you can test-- ideally they want a negative test taken as close to departure as possible (so as to eliminate the possibility you contracted covid in between testing and boarding). It will also depend on whether you are vaccinated or not. Vaccinated passengers can take a PCR test up to 4 days before departure. Unvaccinated passengers are required to take a test up to 2 days before departure. As an example, NCL's rules for Bermuda are here: https://www.ncl.com/travel-requirements-by-country The online testing kits work really well and will allow you to test in the comfort of your home and receive a result fairly quickly. We've used LabCorp's Pixel at home test numerous times for various international travel over the past 18 months but there are plenty of other options people can recommend as well.

Once, a long time ago. We lived close enough to the embarkation port (New York) so bringing clubs wasn't a huge deal but I wouldn't have brought them if I had to fly. The crew stored them somewhere else so did not have to keep them in the cabin and had them waiting by the gangway that morning. I met up with a friend who belonged to a private club right outside of Boston so did not have to tender with them. I've been to Boston countless times for work so didn't feel like I was missing out on the experience spending the day playing a round. I would imagine tendering with them wouldn't be the end of the world but worth checking with the cruise line to see if they will allow it. Wouldn't do it again-- was a lot of hassle even without having to fly with my clubs. If I was intent on doing it again I would just rent clubs wherever I was playing.

All of Hawaii is very casual and I can really only think of a handful of places that have an actual dress code (and Monkeypod Kaanapali isn't one of them). The entire stretch of beach is mostly resorts and most folks eating at Monkeypod will will be rolling off their pool loungers and heading over in the bathing suits and sandals. That being said, while the drinks are very good and they have a great/large bar, I would say the food at Monkeypod overall is unremarkable. A short walk down the beach to the Kaanapali Beach Hotel (one of the original ones and on the way to Black Rock from Whalers Village) is their restaurant Hui Hui. Its a bit more authentic and the food overall is better than Monkeypod (or Hula Grill/Leilanis for that measure).

If the ship anchored off Lahaina the OP wouldn't have even needed a whale watch-- could have just sat there from the ship.

You could technically pull it off but it will be a lot of rushing around. Ferries run about every half hour and then about a 20-30 minute Uber from Battery Park to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal. You wouldn't get much time to spend on Liberty Island and because of the time crunch would most likely not be able to do anything inside the statue itself-- just meander around outside before catching a ride back to Battery Park. Frankly your ship will give you a great view of the statue when you sail down the Hudson-- given the time constraints I would much rather stay closer to the pier in Midtown (as opposed to staying in Battery Park to get to the ferry) and have a leisurely morning and then make sure to view the statue sailing out that afternoon.

Its a relatively newly developed area that used to be dodgy but is now full of mid range corporate hotels and apartment buildings. There are a bunch of nicer (more corporate) restaurants and a few museums. Its clean and safe but frankly isn't a substitute for walking around historic Boston. If you get to Boston quite a bit or have been there quite a lot in the past it could be fun to walk around but I personally would much rather be in the historic center of the city. The quickest way is to just take an Uber from the port which are easy to get there. Its less than 10 min drive and about $12 each way from the cruise terminal to get to Faneuil Hall which put you in walking distance to most historic sites and some great restaurants/bars in the center of town.

Wont be any time soon. They auctioned off the entire contents of the hotel and restaurants not too long ago.

You may see some in the distance but as CruiserBruce says, no where near how many, and how how close, you can see them in Maui. Lahaina Roads, the water between Maui, Molokai, and Lanai, is a bottleneck for whales mating and giving birth and in seasons you can literally just sit there and watch them breach all day. Haleakala and a whale watch is a very full day that doesn't allow for anything else on the island. I would pick one and then go to a beach or grab a nice meal and relax with the remainder of your time. Having done both numerous times the whale watch would be my recommendation. Haleakala is a lot of time crammed onto a bus when it's done in an excursion format. It's slightly more tolerable when you are driving yourself up there.

We use the Blacklane app quite a bit when we need something nicer than an UberBlack. More expensive but you get an actual black car limo company. Works anywhere too.

I believe Aloha Auto is a used car dealership. I would really consider sticking with one of the major car rentals firms-- inventory is still weird and the chances of something not great happening go up exponentially with the smaller players. We usually rent from Avis just a little north of Whaler's Village on Honoapiilani Highway. Its a standalone location so you don't waste any time wandering around a large resort like the Hyatt. Much more efficient even if its a little further down the road. Uber's from Lahaina are easy and the cost is about $15-- its only about a 10 minute ride. Parking in Lahaina is limited. There are a handful of lots you can park overnight in. Be careful though and check the spot you park in-- a lot of parking spots have 3 hour limits and you will get towed if you park overnight. The overnight options will all be in paid parking lots.

You might be looking at it while it's on surge pricing or maybe you are looking at a premium option. UberX and Lyft are typically about $90 from Midtown. That's what I would do.

Not to say that everything is expensive but most of the shopping on the island is either catered to locals for everyday things or the extremely wealthy that live there and the insurance folks who frequent the island for business. It's not like a Caribbean island where there are diamond and pearl shops every three feet. There are plenty of moderately priced souvenirs, duty free this and that, but overall shopping on the island is much more expensive than you find on most other islands.

It really comes down to if spending time in Manhattan the night before or not is of value. It will cost a significant amount more to drive into Manhattan proper and spend the night prior to your cruise than it will be to spend the night in the immediate vicinity in NJ. Parking alone at a hotel or garage near a hotel in Midtown will be in the $50-$70 region (or more if you have an SUV). The Manhattan Cruise Terminal is pretty straightforward. Parking is along the piers that make up the complex and it sort of feels like you are pulling up to an airport terminal. Signs are plentiful and it is easy enough to manage.

You can also download an app called Hitch which is Bermuda's local version of Uber or Lyft. It functions exactly as you would expect and you can easily bring a taxi to you virtually anywhere, know the cost, and see their location/wait time in real time. You can also pay through the app via credit card vs having to use cash in the taxi. There is a small processing fee to use it so if there are taxis in a queue at a hotel you are at by all means just do that but for the harder to get to places its a great insurance policy to have the app downloaded and ready to go before you get to Bermuda.

Port would not be my first choice if on Maui for the day unless you really, really like the ship a lot. This is more interesting-- you continue on beyond Hana and over to the south side of the island where the landscape changes from lush jungle to barren. It's very pretty and without all the vegetation the views along the mountainside and out to sea are spectacular. Definitely something worth doing if you been to Maui before and looking for something different. But be warned it is an entire day. I would take a tour that goes all the way around anyday over one that double backs. My personal preference when we do the Hana road is to rent a car and drive ourselves-- allows us to stop (or not stop) where we want. Feb is an excellent month for whale watching-- you are right in the middle of the whale season.

I've never seen it that high for the short distance in Honolulu and I've used Uber a lot there. My guess is whoever said it was $25 may have been in the earlier days of Hawaii reopening when there were a lot less Uber's on the road.We saw some higher prices and longer waits then-- but nothing close in the past few months. Or it could have been for a higher priced Comfort or UberBlack. The estimate around $14 is going to be at or very close to what you'll see.

More than enough to do the little circuit-- you are limited to where you can take the golf cart. Think of this as a quick self guided tour around an area you could technically walk if it weren't for some big hills. Some good views from up the hill over Avalon from near the Inn on Mt Ada (the former Wrigley mansion). Once you're done you are within easy walking distance of most of what the town offers. If you plan to take a tour of the Casino or something like that schedule before or after the golf cart tour, not during so you don't burn golf cart time. You can just walk back there once you hand the cart back. If you want to go further afield and see more of the island they have guided open Hummer tours you can take.

When we used to live in that area of New Jersey I used a great local company called New Road Limo-- they are at (973) 376-4694. I have not used them since 2019 so not sure if they made it through the pandemic or not but all of their cars were always brand new and immaculate.

There is a very small one in the Dockyard called Snorkel Beach. Its manmade and very small-- definitely not Bermuda's finest place to swim and pales in comparison to Horseshoe-- but it is within walking distance of your ship.

Reservations highly recommended-- occasionally you can walk up but you will end up seated further away from the music/hula dancing. Its at Halekulani which is far and away the best hotel in Honolulu. Beautiful setting outside looking out towards the water. You can get lighter food there but the dining options at Halekulani are excellent-- their more casual all day dining option Orchids is excellent. (also would recommend a reservation). Lewers Lounge is dark and comfortable and great for some jazz later in the evening if you want to linger.